Disclaimers: I own only original characters and plot.
Summary: During the battle of Sunnydale, Buffy’s past returns to her.

Changes:

Hermione and her family disappeared after Goblet of Fire, it was presumed Voldemort
had killed her. Butterfly effect occurs, many minor and a few major changes
happened in books 5, 6, and future. Buffy has a suitcase in her room with her
name and a small red circle on it, along with many identical locks side by side.Buffy
has never read the Harry Potter books, and refuses to watch the movies.

“Spell”

“EMPATHIZED SPEECH”

“Speech”

Thought

-“Telepathy”-

A/N: Just go along with it, tell me if you like it by REVIEWING, but keep the
flames to yourselves.

And so it begins...

Chapter 1: The Battle of Sunnydale

Kennedy ran through the halls of Sunnydale High clutching the Slayer’s
Scythe in her hands. She was running at speeds she had never even been able
to attain before, and wasn’t even tiring.

“Kennedy.”

Kennedy stopped, and looked around. That was when she saw him. A man, maybe
25, walking towards her. He had dark brown hair, sky-blue eyes and an intense
look. She had to admit he was cute, but nothing spectacular, though some girls
would be all over him.

“You’re going to Buffy.” It wasn’t a question. “Give
her this.”

He held up a seemingly normal wooden stick, maybe ten inches long, and tossed
it to her. She caught in her right hand, transferring the scythe to her left
hand.

“Tell her she has permission.”

Kennedy was very confused. A guy steps out of the shadows, give her a stick
and says to give it to a friend? Very weird.

Her confused look must have shown on her face, as the man said “She’ll
know what I mean. Now go.”

Kennedy didn’t move.

“GO!”

Kennedy took off, carrying the stick in one hand with the other holding the
scythe.

The Ubervamps had gotten through. Andrew knew that. He could see them coming.
He and Anya were standing there with their swords drawn, waiting for the fight
they could not possibly win.

The Ubervamps were rushing them, with several Bringers bringing up the rear.
There were five Ubervamps and maybe six Bringers. Three Ubervamps went at Anya,
and two went after Andrew.

Anya exchanged a few blows with one, then dusted one. She swung her sword low
and dusted another. Then she sliced down a Bringer that would have taken a slice
out of Andrew. She felt something at her neck, then heard a whooshing sound.

Looking behind her, she saw a Bringer lying on the ground with a dagger through
his neck, then heard the distinct sound of a Ubervamp turning to dust. Looking
up, she saw a man with two daggers in his hands, two scabbards with swords in
them on his back, along with what looked to be a shotgun and a crossbow.

He was fighting the Bringers and Ubervamps as easily as if he were shredding
paper. Within seconds the Ubervamps were gone, and the Bringers lying on the
floor, dead or dying. He helped Andrew, who was cowering on the floor, up. Then
he turned to Anya, tossed her a dagger, swirled his trenchcoat, and dissapeared
in a brilliant flash of blue light.

Kennedy ran down the stairs in to the basement of the school, then down in
to the Seal, and out onto the platform on which her fellow potentials - no -
slayers were fighting the First’s army. Locating Buffy, she plowed her
way through the Ubervamps until she was at the senior slayer’s side.

“Some guy gave me this.” She handed the stick to Buffy, who looked
surprised. “He told me to tell you ‘you have permission’ or
something like that.”

Buffy was gaping, obviously shocked; this was hardly a good thing when you
are battling a large number of powerful vampires.

One Ubervamp leaped on her back, knocking her to the ground. It was about to
bite Buffy when she threw it off. She got up, with a strangely calm expression
on her face. She pointed the stick at the Ubervamp and said one word.

“Incendio”

The Ubervamp burst into flames.

Buffy turned, and pointed the stick into the fray. She said four words, very,
very, clearly.

“Incendio Maxima Protege Anima”

Bolts of orange light emerged from the stick, hitting every slayer and Spike.
Then there was a white flash, and every Ubervamp spontaneously combusted.

Everyone turned to face Buffy, with very surprised looks on their faces. Buffy
looked at them with a neutral expression. Then she suddenly looked very determined.

“Go! Everyone leave. Get out!” Buffy said. She had an expression
saying do what I am telling you!

The junior slayers started to leave, but Faith and Spike remained behind.

“Faith. Go. Get everyone out, onto the bus. Get as far away as possible.
Spike, go with her.” Buffy said, then waved her stick and pointed it at
him “Solaris Evesco”

“The sun won’t harm you. Now GO!”

Faith and Spike both looked confused, but wisely chose to leave Buffy and go
up the stairs and out.

Buffy turned and faced the Hellmouth Cavern. She summoned up her courage, and
pointed her stick in front of her.

“Puresco Maxima”

Large bolts of orange light emerged from the stick, hitting all points of the
cavern. The stalactites started falling down, crushing the ground beneath them.

Harry Potter looked at the headline of the Daily Prophet and was surprised
to see that it had nothing to do with an attack by Voldemort’s supporters.

“Muggle entertainment producer has knowledge of Wizarding World.”

The article went on to say that the series finale of the American ‘TV
Show’ had included 4 real spells being used. One had been a sun-blocking
spell, another an evil cleanser, and two versions of the fire-invoking Incendio
spell, one with an addition of...

Harry stopped reading, horribly shocked. The other Incendio had Protege Anima
added to it. Tears of an old memory in his eyes, Harry re-read the sentence
just to be sure. It was definitely Protege Anima.

Harry reached for the ordinary-looking mirror on the other corner of his desk,
and pulled it in front of him.

“Ron Weasley” He said to the mirror. Within five minutes, the face
of his best friend appeared in the mirror.

“Oh, yeah, amazing, isn’t it? Some man uses spells in his - what
did they call it - tv show.”

“Did you see what spells?”

“O’course. A sunblocker, a cleanser, and a couple of Incedios,
nothing to get upset about.”

“Ron, the second Incedio, did you see the addition?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Protege Anima. Ring a bell? Towards the end of fourth year, maybe?”

“I don’t... Merlin! Her..mion” He choked of.

“Exactly. Our attempt to block the killing curse. Where did Mr. Producer
learn that? We never told anyone, right? We didn’t want to embarrass ourselves,
trying to block the unblockable.”

“I never told anyone.”

“Neither did I. So that means that it is either a big coincidence, or
else” He paused, working up the courage to say the name that, out of sadness
and regret, was harder to say than most people considered Voldemort’s.
“Hermione.”

“But, how?”

“I don’t know. But I think I know how to find out. Ron, pack your
bags. We’re going to America.”

Chapter 3: Spainifications

June 18th, 2003

The Hyperion, LA, The USA, North America, Earth, The Milky Way, The Buffy Universe.

Buffy stood in the lobby of the Hyperion, with all of the newly activated potentials,
along with the Scooby gang and AI crew. Given that the battle with the army
of Ubervamps had gone faster than they had expected, there were very few people
who had gotten seriously injured, most of the slayers had barely been scratched.
Normally, Buffy would have been glad, but in fact, she was feeling worse than
she had ever felt, except maybe right after being resurrected and clawing out
of her coffin.

Because she now had to explain her life, in full, and truthfully. She had to
explain how she’d single-handedly beaten all the Ubervamps, then closed
down the Hellmouth and turned Sunnydale into a large crater. It wouldn’t
be easy.

But thankfully, she would not have to go into detail about where she had learned
to do what she did, cause they already knew. Because her life, and that of her
two of her best friends were chronicled in a hugely successful series of books.
Which would be good and fine if the books had been biographies, but they were
‘works of fiction’.

“So Buffy,” Willow said, “what happened? Or, more to the
point, how did you do what you did, cuz we already got the lowdown on what happened
from those who were there?”

Buffy took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. She was ready for this. She
hoped.

“Well, what I did there were examples of things that I learnt during
the time I was 11 through till the summer I turned 15.” Buffy paused.
“I think it would be easier if I just showed you, actually.”

She turned to Dawn.

“Dawnie, could you go and get your set of the Harry Potter books? I know
you brought them,you had them on the bus. Also, could you get my suitcase? You
know, the one with all the locks.”

Dawn’s eyes widened in confusion. It was a well known fact that Buffy
would not touch the Harry Potter books, yet here she was asking for them in
a use in an explanation? Weird.

“Please Dawn. It’ll make sense soon.”

Dawn left the room, and came back about two minutes later holding the six books
of the Harry Potter series, and Buffy’s suitcase. Her copies of Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone(A/N: I live in Canada, where we call it
by its British name, Philosopher’s Stone), the Chamber of Secrets, The
Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, and The Half-Blood
Prince were all well torn and ripped from the trip on the bus, and from all
the abuse they’d gotten over the years.

Buffy took the books and her suitcase from Dawn, despite the looks she got
from almost everyone present. She opened the first book to page 41,(not sure,
just guessing, haven’t got a copy on hand) and read to her suitcase “a
girl with bushy brown hair.”(once again, just guessing)

Then, she pulled out a knife, pierced her right index finger, and let a drop
of blood fall on the red circle on her suitcase.

“Reveal the truth of light, that it may outshine all others.” She
said. And she waited.

About fifteen seconds later, the name engraved into the metal plaque below
the circle changed. Where it had once said Buffy Summers, it wavered, letters
switching position and changing into...

Hermione Elizabeth Granger.(The middle name is my own creation.)

“Buffy? What on Ea...” Giles was very confused.

“Now, I can explain.” Buffy interrupted plainly.

“Everything you know about my past is a lie. I was not born in Los Angeles.
In fact, I was not born in this country. Heck, I wasn’t even born in this
dimension! I was born in London, England, in a Dimension that, in this dimension
is fictional. I lived for 10 years as a normal girl, then got this letter to
a magic school, and whabbam! My life changes. And if you want to know about
it, you can read these books, that I really don’t like, cause its all
about Harry, and I’m the bookworm know-it-all friend who I tried to distance
myself from when Drake brought me here!”

By this time, Buffy was going into a babble that rivalled any Willow had ever
done. Everyone was trying to digest what Buffy had just told them, but Faith
caught something that it seemed noone else had.

“Umm, Buffy, who’s Drake?”

“Oh crap. I so did not mean to say that.”
Far, far away, in a separate sub-dimension, in a nice comfortable chair, logged
between two advanced looking computers was a man, looking at a hologram projection
of his favorite slayer/witch who had just mentioned his name. He got up, walked
to a closet, said “Attire, Fight, with wand and crossbow accessory”,
then, in his new uniform walked slowly to his modified alien craft, got in,
sat down, and set the dials to head to a dimension he had visited not even a
standard day before.That all for now, folks.

Chapter 4: Splainifications pt 2

“Umm, Buffy, who’s Drake?”

“Oh crap. I so did not mean to say that!” Buffy said, shocked,
and whitened. She spoke to the air, fantically.

“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. Can I please
tell them about you? Please? I don’t think they’ll let it drop.”

Everyone perked up as they felt a gust of air blow around the room. The wind
stopped, massing in a form of visible energy just in front of Buffy. The energy
slowly produced letters in the air, glowing blue letter trailing blue fire.
It formed a message.

MY DEAR, WHEN I SAID YOU HAVE PERMISSION, I MEANT THAT YOU HAVE PERMISSION
TO DO ANYTHING, INCLUDING TELLING YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT ME. GO AHEAD. I MYSELF
WILL BE COMING, YOU MAY WANT TO TELL ANDREW TO PREPARE TO BE SHOCKED. DRAKE
IAORRI

Buffy watched as the letters faded out, then the energy dissipated, slipping
away in to the corners of the rooms and out through the walls. “Trust
him to show off his ultimate knowledge” she muttered to herself.

“Well, I guess I can tell you then.”

Buffy pulled up on of the many chairs that had been brought into the lobby,
and sat down. She looked at everyone else, many of whom were also sitting, all
of them had very confused expressions, though a few also had a touch of wonder
in their eyes.

“Okay. So. The summer just after I turned 15, I had been preparing to
go to this place in London, where a whole lot of people had gathered. If the
books cover it, you would know it as the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.”

Willow nodded.

“I think it was about three days before I was heading there when this
guy appeared out of nowhere and introduced himself to me as Drake Iaorri. He
said he was a dimensional traveler, and said that I was needed elsewhere. He
said that I had been called as a slayer, entirely accidentally, and the fate
of another dimension required that I either die or come with him. It turned
out that there weren’t supposed to be slayer in that dimension, and that
another dimension, this one, was without one as long as I was there.”

Buffy was looking at the clock then to the door every so often now, as if she
expected someone to appear there, which she actually did.

“He said that it was entirely his fault I was called, cause he had had
a link, some kind of portal, between these two dimensions when the slayer before
me had died, and somehow the slayer essence had passed through the portal. I
was skeptical at first, I thought he might be some death eater in disguise,
but he showed me many things that eventually made me believe him, and I let
him take me here, along with my family. He then changed my appearance: my hair
color, my eye color, even my height. When I asked him why, he said ‘If
you should be seen or described’. Then he took me here, gave my family
fake memories, gave us new identities, and dropped us off in a house in LA.”

Dawn was now bursting with questions. Finally she let it all explode out of
her.

“So you’re saying you’re a character in one of my favorite
sets of books, who dissapeared, and you met a guy who told you you had to leave
your friends and you came to LA and then Sunnydale in a separate freaking dimension?
And you changed our memories? And you’re British?” Dawn was goind
red in the face from lack of air, but was still retaining an imposing demeanor.

“Umm, yeah. You see, what’s fiction in some dimension is actually
reality in another dimension. If you jumped dimensions enough, you could find
almost anything you want.”

Then Buffy heard something, and froze. It was the distinct sound of the air
cracking. Which she had heard before when...

Everything seemed to go in slow motion, Buffy yelling “Get Down”,
running and leaping into the assembly, everyone being knocked backwards. Visible
cracks appearing in the air, breaking open to reveal blue light pouring through,
then a massive object smashing through , emerging out of the gap, tearing through
the ceiling, then hitting the ground, gliding for 3 meters or so, coming to
rest in the middle of the lobby.

There was silence for about 5 seconds before Andrew, recognizing what it was
stated “Holy Shit!”. Then many other people recognized it.

It was an Attack Craft from the movie Independence Day.

But it wasn’t really. It looked like one, shaped like one, could even
have been one to start, but it wasn’t one now. There were rows of flashing
lights one the sides of the headpiece, and two large multicolored cones with
grooves coming out the back. It was also painted bright orange with black line
running all over it.

The back hatch opened, and out stepped a man. Kennedy recognized him as the
person who had stopped her the day before, and Anya recognized him as the man
who probably had a very nice penis who had saved her life.

“Hello.” said the man.

“Drake!” Squealed Buffy, running at him and throwing her arms around
him, kissing his cheek. Spike scoffed.

“Have it your way then. Everyone, this is Drake Iaorri, dimensional traveler
extraordinaire, and official ruiner of my life.” The last comment was
added as an afterthought.

“Hey, you accepted my apology, and you know what I did was for the best.
And if I hadn’t, lots of people would have died. Probably everybody here,
and a large amount of people back there.”

“Like who?”

“Well, Sirius for instance, as would be, umm... I don’t know, but
Sirius would defintely be gone. I know that much.”
Meanwhile, far away...

In an old building in the countryside of England, a man entered a heavily guarded
room, and prostrated himself before his master.

“You have news for me, Wormtail?”

“Yes master.” Wormtail kissed the rim of his master’s robes.
“We have located her.”

“At last! Finally that thorn in my side shall die. Her annoying little
actions against my forces shall cease, and I will be free to rule all dimensions!”

And Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin and the Entity calling itself the
First Evil laughed.

Chapter 5: The Action Begins

Harry woke up drenched in a cold sweat. Given his normal nightmares, this wasn’t
anything special. However, what was different was that, for the first time in
a long while, his scar was hurting. This meant that either Voldemort was really
happy or really angry and lost control of the occlumency keeping their minds
separate.

He could barely remember what he had dreamed about, but he was pretty sure
it had to do with some girl who was always messing up his-no-Voldemort’s,
plans. She had been found.

Harry realized he did not know anything more than that. No feeling of who it
was, no amount of hate, just cold want. But if there was no emotion, then why
had Voldemort’s control slip.

Unless of course, it hadn’t...

Willow was sitting in her room in the Hyperion, thinking. She was still amazed
to find out that her one of her best friends was actually a character from one
of her favorite book series. She was also slightly annoyed that help for her,
when she had been addicted to magic was very close by, only a drop of blood
away, as she had learnt. However, she could understand Buffy’s lack of
telling given that if she had told them before she had permission, ‘bad
things’ would happen to her.

She also remembered what Drake had told them about fiction and possibilities.
“If you look far enough, you can find anything.” Did that mean it
might be possible to find a world where Tara was still alive? She banished those
thoughts in an instant, not willing to open old wounds.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I HAVE TO GO BACK” Willows thoughts were interupted
as Buffy shouted. Willow got up, confused, and went down the hall to Buffy’s
room, where the noise was coming from. She saw Drake and Buffy standing in the
center of the room and arguing.

“Harry needs you, Buffy. He thinks your dead. He thinks he is responsible
for Dumbledore’s death, Cedric’s death, and YOUR death. His conscience
is too fully loaded down. It isn’t good for him, it broke him. Now he
needs to fight Voldemort, and I honestly do not know if he’ll win if he’s
as broken as he is now.”

“But it’s been what; 7 years since I left? Surely he’s gotten
over it by now.”

“He hasn’t. It hurt him more than either of us predicted. He really
liked you, you know. And anyways, he’s not the only reason it. Big V is
in the Hunt a Buffy game now. As far as my intelligence services know, Voldemort
located you sometime yesterday. He has it out for you, my spy reports, but currently
I have absolutely no idea why. And, given how Voldie acts fast I wouldn’t
be surprised if he sent Death Eaters after you.”

Buffy thought about Drake had told her. Then something leapt out at her.

“How could he send them here? They’d have to cross dimensions,
wouldn’t they? Please tell me they did not steal one of your ships.”
Buffy said very fast as she sat down on her bed.

“No, Buffy, they did not steal one of my ships. I keep a closer eye on
them than on you.” Buffy gave Drake a slightly hurt look, and Drake smiled.
“Not that much closer, Princess. But they have magic. Voldemort developed
a new spell to make portals on the go. I don’t know how, though, but my
spy says it’s unbelievably comples.”

“Who is this spy you keep talking about. Anyone I know?”

“Actually, yes. He’s a guy who wants redemption. He did a few bad
deeds, but overall he’s a decent, but I won’t say good, guy who
happened to be raised in a harsh environment.”

Buffy groaned.

“Oh. Let me guess. Draco Malfoy.”

“Yup. When I met him, he was going to kill himself. He held himself responsible
for Dumbledore’s death, even though he actually didn’t do it himself.
We had a talk, he decided he didn’t actually want to die, and he accepted
my business offer. I made him immune to any mind reading, impossible to force
to give up secrets, and gave him an amulet to divert some pain should he be
hit by a Crucio. In return, he tells me all the goings on in Voldemort’s
inner circle, and most of the time all of the major plans.”

“You are not going to be able to convince me he is on our side, Drake.
You know I hate him. He was such an asshole to me when I was there. I won’t
ever...”

But Buffy never got a chance to say what she would never, as they heard a booming
sound coming from the floor below. Buffy jumped up from her seat on the bed,
and rushed out the door, sparing barely a glimpse at Willow, as she ran down
the stairs. Drake and Willow hurried after her.

They raced down the stairs, and saw a large group of people, all wearing billowing
cloaks darker than the night sky, and masks looking like a mutated version of
Scream masks. Buffy stopped. She stared at them, gaping. She backed up slowly,
and didn’t try to act afraid.

“Can we help you?” She asked.

“Actually, yes. Tell us where the mudblood Hermione Granger is or,”
He paused for dramatic effect, and Buffy recognized the voice. Severus Snape.
“We kill you all.”

“Oh. Is that so? You know, I really don’t like being threatened.
And I don’t give up the locations of friends, either. Especially to people
who would probably kill them.”

“Insolent girl. Tell us or you all feel the consequences of your stupidity.”

That was when Buffy lost it.

“I am not stupid! And you, you evil, traitorous fool. You killed Albus
Dumbledore, you submitted Harry to the Cruciatus! You don’t deserve to
live, Severus Snape!” The last two words were pronounced as if they were
the greatest insult ever.

“You!” Another voice, female and high-pitched. “You’re
the mudblood! You disgusting freak! You...”

The Death Eater, for that was what they were, went flying backwards, colliding
with wall, and slumping to the ground. And Willow slowly lowered her hand.

“Noone talks about my best friend like that!”

At this point, the rest of the Death Eaters decided it was time to attack.
They pulled out their wands, and started firing curses and hexes at them. But
the attempt was negated by a shield conjured by Willow. Meanwhile, the five-or-so
slayers who had come down to see the happenings were ducking out of the way
of the various spells and were slowly, but surely, knocking out the Death Eaters,
who were barely defending themselves.

Soon, there was only one left standing. Snape was standing in the middle of
an advancing circle of Slayers.

He muttered to himself “I must not fail the mission”.

Then he pointed his wand at Buffy, who had also raised her wand.

“Avada Kedavera!” Snape shouted, at the same time as Buffy shouted
“Protege Anima!”

There was a green flash.

There was an orange flash.

There was an explosion.

Then there was silence.

Chapter 6: Intelude and afterattack

Harry Potter was annoyed. He and Ronald Weasley were sitting in an office
in a muggle building in bloody America, meeting with a muggle to see if he had
had contact with a friend of theirs. The muggle, Joss Whedon, had probably not
guessed four real spells and one possible spell. In fact, it was so unlikely
the odds would say it was impossible.

So here they sat, waiting for a late muggle, in an office that smelled to much
like the Dungeons back at Hogwarts.

They had gotten in as British ambassadors sent directly by the Muggle Prime
Minister of Britain, who, it seemed, would do anything to get the two wizards
out of his office. They had taken a portkey into a train station in California,
and had gone directly to the building they were in now.

Harry was about to summon a muggle chess set when in came the muggle they were
there to meet.

Joss Whedon moved around the desk, sat down and faced the two wizards.

“Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley. What can I do for you?”

“We were wondering what you could tell us about the scripts to Buffy
the Vampire Slayer, particularly about the last episode.”

At this, Whedon’s face blanched. Ron noticed this, pulled out his wand
and said “Veritassus.” Whedon’s eye’s glazed over, then
quickly were back to normal.

“Well, we don’t really know much about the scripts. They appear
on the scriptwriter’s desk, along with a couple of pictures. We don’t
have any idea who they come from. Whenever there is someone new, a file appears
with the actor to get to play the person, as well as pictures of makeup and
such stuff.”

“So, you’re telling us that the scripts magically appear on a desk,
and noone knows where they come from?” Harry asked, confused.

“That is correct.”

“Are you sure that NOONE knows where they come from?”

“Absolutely noone has any idea. The security system doesn’t see
anyone. One second they’re not there, the next, they are.”

“That is unfortunate. Thank you for your time, Mr. Whedon.” Harry
pulled out his wand, pointed it at Joss Whedon’s head, and said “Obliviate.”

Whedon’s pupils dilated, and Harry and Ron walked out of the room.

“That was not very helpful” said Ron.

“On the contrary, my friend. Its very helpful. We know whoever is creating
them can be invisible.”
Every single person in the Hyperion felt the explosion. It rocked the very foundations
of the building. Yet, there seemed to be no damage done to the building, or
to any furniture, or anything.

Except for the two crumpling forms who had been at the centre of it. Immediately,
Willow rushed forwards to see what had happened to Buffy. She felt for a pulse,
and was amazed when she found one.

“Guys! She’s alive!” She exclaimed.

Everyone but Drake looked extremely relieved. Drake, however, merely nodded,
and proceeded to move towards the other newly fallen body. Crouching down, he
pulled of the mask, and felt the pulse of Severus Snape.

Once he found one, he quickly clapped his hands, and a pair of handcuffs appeared.
He bound Snape’s hands, then searched for his wand. Finding it, he snapped
it in two, then four, then eight, and whistled a soft tune. The pieces of wood
burst into flame, and were totally gone in less than a second.

Then he heard Xander’s worried voice. “Um, I don’t know about
you guys, but I think her wand is gone.”

Drake spun around, and moved to Buffy’s limp body. There was definitely
no wand in either of her hands, and it wasn’t anywhere close to her. Standing
up, Drake looked around the room, thinking it might have been blasted out of
her hands. He did not, however, see it.

Deciding he’d deal with that later, he crouched back over Buffy. He placed
one hand on her head, and another in the centre of her chest.

He muttered to himself the things to check. “Smooth breathing, check.
Steady heartbeat, check. Normal body temperature, check.” Then he pulled
out something that, to Andrew, looked very much like a tricorder. Waving it
over her body, he looked at the small screen.

“Sorry, for all that I could do, I cannot bring her out of a coma. She’ll
have to come out naturally.”

“Should we move her?” Willow asked.

“Yes. Hold on for a sec.” He moved over to where his ship was sitting,
invisible. He had fixed the ceiling and had shrunk the ship so that, while the
space inside was the same, the space it took up on the outside was much smaller.

Drake reached up the ship’s ramp, and unhooked a stretcher from where
it was hooked on the side of the ship. He took it out, and brought it over to
Buffy. Willow, Xander, Giles, and a surprisingly silent Dawn helped lift Buffy
onto the stretcher, which was floating two feet above the ground.

As they placed Buffy gently onto the stretcher, her right arm flopped down.
Willow let out a soft gasp, and pointed to Buffy’s wrist. Looking down
to where Willow was pointing, everyone saw something very surprising.

On her right wrist, where the butt end of her wand had touched, was a scar.
It was shaped like a lightning bolt.

Chapter 8: Coma Girl

Buffy was in a room totally surrounded by white. There were no doors, no windows,
no furniture, just endless white, as far as the eye could see.

It looked like something out of ‘The Matrix.’

Out of nowhere, a voice sounded. It echoed in the room, giving it a metallic
sound.

It was a language that Buffy did not know, but yet she knew what the words
meant.

‘Buffy Summers, also Hermione Granger, also Aurona Veltas. You are among
us, the higher powers, the beings the one you call the Powers That Be bow to.
You should be dead now. You are faced with a choice. You may die, and leave
the task of protection to your friends, or live, and continue to protect you
friends and your world.’

A being shimmered into existence. It appeared to be a human woman, yet her
skin, hair, and eyes were neon orange. She seemed to have a shadow moving before
and after her, and as she walked, the two shadows moved slightly after her.

She approached Buffy, and pulled out a knife. The hilt on the knife was shaped
like an angel, wings outstretched to create a pommel. She lunged it into the
white flooring, lodging it in well. Then she pulled out another knife. This
one was dark, and the contrast with the white room was abnormal. The hilt was
engraved with figures, all of whom Buffy knew. At the top, were figures from
her old life. Harry Potter, Ron Wealsey, along with friends from her elementary
school. Then there were figures from her travelling time. Mistress Daina, the
woman who had been her friend at Drake’s Dimensional Utopia, and of course,
Drake Iaorri himself were also engraved. Then were figures from her newest life.
Willow, Xander, Dawn, Giles, Anya, Faith, Angel were all engraved. There were
even figures going outwards to create an elegant pommel.

Buffy thought. She knew what heaven was, she had been there. She knew the happiness
knowing that her friends were okay, and that she was free. She wanted that.
She wanted peace.

She began to reach for the white knife, but stopped. It was a lie. The peace
in heaven was a lie. I felt that my friends were okay, but they weren’t.
They told me what it was like. Had I not been pulled out, they would have been
dead.

She pondered another long while. Then she made her choice.

She reached for the black knife.
The room was hot. There were no windows. There were many people, all intensely
watching the young woman lying on the bed. Most were sleeping, but three were
still awake.

All three men were startled when a machine next to the bed started to beep.
It beeped louder and faster, until everyone was slowly waking up.

Angel watched the heart-rate monitor, as the rate started to drop. It slowed
to half, then to a quarter of norm. And the beeping stopped, and was replaced
by a buzzing sound. The monitor displayed a blank line. Almost instantaneously,
everyone was standing next to the little bed.

Many people had tears in their eyes, and two were openly crying.

Then, the unexpected happened.

Buffy Summers, who supposedly was dead, given she had no heartbeat, stirred.